Schools and how they work have always been questioned by both parents and students. It’s something so elementary, yet people have a hard time understanding, “What’s the point?” What is the point of sending a child to school where they are ridiculed, taught ineffectively, and put aside? Not all schools are like this. The majority are not, but focusing on all malice is how you get rid of it all. When looking at a long list of problems, people have always had to wonder, “Where do I begin?”
The world as it used to be heavily contradicts the world we live in today. The education system was filled with multiple different subjects so that one could find a job once high school was over. College was encouraged but never truly needed to make a good living. Today, the opposite is true. Companies are looking for innovative people to help expand their brand: people with intelligence, with a degree to prove it. Many companies do not require much manual work due to automation and machinery. Said machinery is making it harder to get labor heavy jobs in the present. Whether it is art, writing, math, architecture, or even directors, companies want people who use their head more than their hands.
Now, how does this contrast the school’s way of learning? Say a person has a can, and they keep filling that can with more and more food. Some foods in the can are necessities, but other foods are extra. If someone keeps filling that can, eventually it becomes damaged. Students are required to learn many excessive amounts of content that many either forget or disregard. Certain types of schools are called subdury schools, where the students, along with the teachers, make decisions about what type of education they want to get into. Tallgrass Subdury School, one of the few American subdury models, states that, “In a Sudbury school, students create their own curriculum and are free to spend their time however they choose.” (TSS)
Basic necessities like English and math are still taught, but excess curricula such as geometry and finite math are optional. These Sudbury schools also have better mental health among students, as well a higher rate of students going to college.
Another issue with the education system is simply, grades. Grades as a premise are great; they help students visualize where they are in their studies. More options do exist; however, many different ways to help students get on the right track, such as mastery-based education, self-assessments, pass/fail system, gamification, and live feedback. New Castle High School uses a mixture of these such as slight gamification (not mandatory curricula but some teachers do use it) and grade point average (GPA).
Every student is different, and may need different types of assistance. Luckily, our school has many different types of help given to its students. However, those students sometimes struggle to accept someone’s help, or they just don’t care about the teacher’s kindness.
It comes to no surprise, but teachers in America are treated very poorly. These people are responsible for the preservation and overall education of the future generation; however, the government throws them aside like dolls in a playhouse. In turn, many teachers lack motivation or are just plain uninterested in helping their students. Speaking of, students also treat teachers badly. For a student to learn, they must create a basic relationship with their teacher, but due to disrespect that has become a general norm in America, teachers are made fun of for trying to do their job.
American schools need to change; However, because of people who do not want to invest or change the way education works, we stay in a stagnant cycle of wanting change, but not doing anything about it. As a student, all the things that we could have, the things that could make school a better environment, are taunting. While discussing these issues with other teachers New Castle’s chemistry teacher, John Thompson, stated he wanted, “Longer school days.” Funnily enough, sudbury schools last till 5:30. These changes, however, may not be too far away. As awareness is being raised, more and more people are striving for change!
Works Cited/Used.
“Frequently Asked Questions — South Jersey Sudbury School.” South Jersey Sudbury School, http://www.southjerseysudburyschool.org/faq. Accessed 7 September 2023.
“Say goodbye to manual work orders.” MasterLibrary, 1 July 2020, https://www.masterlibrary.com/blog/its-time-to-say-goodbye-to-manual-work-orders. Accessed 7 September 2023.
“School Mental Health Systems to Support Students Beyond the Pandemic » Commission on Disability.” Town of Sudbury, 12 November 2021, https://sudbury.ma.us/disability/2021/11/12/school-mental-health-systems-to-support-students-beyond-the-pandemic/. Accessed 7 September 2023.
“The Sudbury Model.” Tallgrass Sudbury School, https://www.tallgrasssudbury.org/sudbury-model. Accessed 7 September 2023.
Tretina, Kat. “Is College Worth The Cost? Pros Vs. Cons.” Forbes, 21 June 2022, https://www.forbes.com/advisor/student-loans/is-college-worth-it/. Accessed 7 September 2023.
